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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — of water
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — music
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. bass — low music
  15. snap — to click
  16. spring — the season
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lean — thin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bass — the instrument

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com